That “Donatuses” and other small elementary books for the use of schools were printed from wood-blocks previous to the invention of typography there can be little doubt; and it is by no means unlikely that they might be first printed in Holland or in Flanders. At any rate an opinion seems to have been prevalent at an early period that the idea of printing with moveable types was first derived from a “Donatus,”[III-9] printed from wood-blocks. In the petition of Conrad Sweinheim and Arnold Pannartz, two Germans, who first established a press at Rome, addressed to Pope Sixtus IV. in 1472, stating the expense which they had incurred in printing books, and praying for assistance, they mention amongst other works printed by them, “DONATI pro puerulis, unde IMPRIMENDI INITIUM sumpsimus;” that is: “Donatuses for boys, whence we have taken the beginning of printing.” If this passage is to be understood as referring to the origin of typography, and not to the first proofs of their own press, it is the earliest and the best evidence on the point which has been adduced; for it is very likely that both these printers had acquired a knowledge of their art at Mentz in the very office where it was first brought to perfection. [Footnote III-9: Angelus Rocca mentions having seen a “Donatus” on parchment, at the commencement of which was written in the hand of Mariangelus Accursius, who flourished about 1530: “Impressus est autem hic _Donatus_ et _Confessionalia_ primùm omnium anno MCCCCL. Admonitus certè fuit ex _Donato_ Hollandiæ, prius impresso in tabula incisa.”--Bibliotheca Vaticana commentario illustrata, 1591, cited by Prosper Marchand in his Hist. de l’Imprimerie, 2nde Partie, p. 35. It is likely that Accursius derived his information about a Donatus being printed in Holland from the Cologne Chronicle.] About the year 1400, Henne, or John Gænsfleisch de Sulgeloch, called also John Gutemberg zum Jungen, appears to have been born at Mentz. He had two brothers; Conrad who died in 1424, and Friele who was living in 1459. He had also two sisters, Bertha and Hebele, who were both nuns of St. Claire at Mentz. Gutemberg had an uncle by his father’s side, named Friele, who had three sons, named John, Friele, and Pederman, who were all living in 1459.